CVE-2015-4298 in Unified Web
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Unified Web and E-Mail Interaction Manager 9.0(2) and 11.0(1) improperly performs authorization, which allows remote authenticated users to read or write to stored data via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCuo89056.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4298 affects Cisco Unified Web and E-Mail Interaction Manager versions 9.0(2) and 11.0(1), representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the system's ability to properly enforce access controls. This weakness resides in the application's authorization mechanisms, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to bypass intended security restrictions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it allows remote authenticated users to perform unauthorized read and write operations on stored data without proper authorization, effectively compromising the integrity and confidentiality of the system's data repository. The issue is catalogued under the Cisco Bug ID CSCuo89056, indicating it was recognized and documented by Cisco's internal vulnerability tracking system.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that enable attackers to exploit the authorization implementation, suggesting that the vulnerability may be present across multiple access points or data manipulation pathways within the application. This authorization bypass allows threat actors who have already established authentication credentials to escalate their privileges or access data they should not be permitted to view or modify. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data access, as it enables both read and write operations, potentially allowing for data corruption, information disclosure, or even complete system compromise through unauthorized modifications to critical stored data elements.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on Cisco's Unified Web and E-Mail Interaction Manager for their communication infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack vector means that threat actors can exploit this weakness from outside the organization's network perimeter, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion of stored information. The authenticated nature of the attack requires initial compromise of valid credentials, but once achieved, the attacker can leverage this vulnerability to gain broader access to sensitive information within the system. This weakness directly impacts the system's data integrity and confidentiality, potentially affecting business continuity and regulatory compliance requirements.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, as well as implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions and ensure proper access controls are in place. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and represents a significant risk under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and credential access techniques. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional logging and monitoring controls to detect unauthorized data access patterns and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing this type of authorization bypass vulnerability.